How do you mess up a story about two giraffes, an orphaned boy, a hurricane, and a cross country trip? Giraffes at Lion Country Safari remained outdoors and kept their heads down during Hurricane Irma. Arriving in New York Sept. 23, they had to keep quarantine officers company for 16 days. 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. Please send suggestions for future episodes: Suggestions@TheHistoryGuy.net. } What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Advice from the sidelines urged him to try ham and eggs. So preciousIt reminded me of my days at the St Louis Zoo and Bill Ross the elephant man. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. . Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. San Diego Zoo. Afterward, the hurricane left only three. Prior to becoming head keeper at the San Diego Zoo, he had been with the circus since he was eleven years old, including sixteen-year gig as the lead keeper of the Ringling Bros. circus. The youngest child, just turned 2, was with her and a tree limb fell and gave him a bad cut on his head. 1938 1939 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 LIFE Magazine October 10, 1938 Legion Drum Majoretts $ 39.99 9 in stock Add to cart SKU: 113-810-1000 Categories: LIFE Magazines, LIFE Magazines 1930's, LIFE Magazines 1938 Tag: Description Additional information Description Also, it's well researched with a "Historical Notes" section at the end that's informative and the research is never heavy-handed within the text. Thank you so much for the feedback! How I got into. Melanie says: In 1938, two giraffes bound for the San Diego zoo survived a hurricane at sea and a cross-country trip by truck. The giraffes, probably only a few years old, were met at the Brooklyn dock by the San Diego Zoos head keeper Charley Smith (Riley Jones and Old Man in the novel) and city truck driver Ed Seuss (Earl). 1943: Lotus, first hippo born at zoo; trainer Richard Havemann fatally injured by Himalayan bear. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. border: none; Thank you! The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. In all, 10 people clung to that bit of floor as it hurtled across the Sound to land in Connecticut. Lofty and Patches became national figures when they made the last lap. Orphaned during the Dust Bowl, he found his way to New York to work for a distant cousin. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. The 1938 hurricane was the worst natural disaster in American history a gale that wreaked more death and havoc than either the great Chicago fire or the San Francisco earthquake. The storm, which originated near the Cape Verde Islands and had previously intensified to a Category 5 hurricane near the Bahamas, pummeled Southern New England with sustained hurricane-force winds and caused . This story was updated in 2022. They also included the Colonial Hurricane of 1635, the Great September Gale of 1815 and the Hurricane of 1938. I loved this book! Little did anyone now that in September 1938, during the final few days of their trip, these animals bound for San Diego would encounter what was then the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper East Coast, killing nearly 700 people. With horrible writing. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lofty and Patches became national figures, From the Archives: In 1893 Jos Gabriel was the first inmate to be executed at San Quentin, From the Archives: 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee galvanized the modern American Indian Movement, From the Archives: The queens 1983 visit to San Diego drew a crowd, From the Archives: Egg poached to save condor 40 years ago. When they finally were in their new house, a picturesque building that resembles a fairy-tale illustration, every connected with the job was ready to fall apart except Mr. and Mrs. The giraffe is in a large crate on the bed of the truck which appears to be inside a building. The damage was horrific. Cross Country. I would give this book ten stars if possible. Yesterday at 12:30 Eddie drove the truck through the gates at San Diego zoological gardens and all hands followed it to the mesa where the citys big crane was waiting and the camels were wondering what the heck. Rhode Island got battered by the Great 1938 Hurricane. He tried alfalfa and molasses. I dont know how I was led to this book.Thank you to whomever suggested it. The Northern Kraft Paper Mill in Howland, Maine. So very touching and heart wrenching!! But was he proud of the two beautiful animals! This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. i guess this is supposed to build up suspense and have the reader on the edge of their seat, waiting with bated breath for the secret to be revealed. Sweet memories. In 1938, 2 hurricanes survived the Great Hurricane and needed to be transported across the US from NY to the San Diego Zoo. It's 1938. Begin or dive deeper into researching your family tree, Learn about the spaces, places, & unique story of your community, The largest North American Heritage collection after the Library of Congress. You can purchase the bow tie worn in this episode at The Tie Bar:https://www.thetiebar.com/?utm_campaign=BowtieLove&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=LanceGeiger. Images of America Series. Theyve seen the world. Upon hearing that the giraffes were bound for San Diego, Woody became determined to follow them to the land of milk and honey and begin a new life. Conservation Status: Threatened. . Fantastic, and such a good read. But when they underestimated an approaching hurricane, at least 250 luckless World War I vets died, caught in the path of the most. In Hartford, the river reached 35.4 feet, 19.4 feet above flood stage. In 1938, there was a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York. It then took two years for the 50 CCC camps and 15,000 WPA workers in the region to finish the job. In October 1938 the first breeding pair of giraffes arrived at the San Diego Zoo from east Africa. It was a wonderful novel. } Wendy Eckart. The keepers and other staff members would visit her daily; [s]ometimes as many as eight would come during the same day or evening, she recalled. In normal conditions this would be a rough trip, especially for temperature-sensitive giraffes, which were placed in crates and forced to endure whatever the high seas threw at them. She also had a vocabulary that she kept in reserve that the [former] circus men could understand. The keepers came to call her Boss. She let them know that she admired their work, and responded to her with both respect and affection. All received the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the Coast Guards highest honor, for extreme and [], [] frequently visiting her familys summer home in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook. ATHENIA, NJSept. Few paid attention to the stormbarreling up the coast. It is history that deserves your help! One of the 19,000 buildings destroyed by the hurricane. A charming and wondrous enchantment of a novel Sunday, February 14, 2021 Michelle Newby Lancaster HISTORICAL FICTION Lynda Rutledge West with Giraffes: A Novel Lake Union Publishing Hardcover (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, on audio CD, and in paperback), 978-1-5420-2174-6, 356 pgs., $24.95 February 1, 2021 Now the incident is under review. By clicking "BUY" you agree to our Terms of Use. Thank you for such an amazing story! Two-thirds of the boats in New Bedford Harbor sank. It turned out to be the storm surge, topped by waves 30 and 50 feet high. But the author does a magnificent job. ship I am getting all chocked up and tearing ..I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ! War, recession and lousy farmland created other ghost [], [] would ever be picked and that no ax ever be used. The 1938 New England Hurricane (also referred to as the Great New England Hurricane and the Long Island Express Hurricane) [1] [2] was one of the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclones to strike Long Island, New York, and New England. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. Croke, Vicki. A giraffe's heart is 2 feet (0.6 meters) long and weighs about 25 pounds (11 kilograms), and its lungs can hold 12 gallons (55 liters) of air! I have some books printed the next year , with 100s of picture , tv, nh, ri, and ct I have a book for each. box-shadow: none; There is only one giraffe species, but there are several subspeciestwo of which are endangered. margin-left: 6px; The storm hit seven days after I was born in Northampton, Mass. On board the ship were some unique passengers: two Giraffes. .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { Smith lured him with an acacia branch. If you'd like to read more about the 1938 hurricane, click here. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for America's first zoos. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. float: right; Riley Jones is hired to handle the giraffes and get them across the country. justify-content: center; .printfriendly.pf-alignleft { abbvie ceo richard gonzalez wife; how far is haddonfield, illinois from chicago The 45-mile drive from Brooklyn to the quarantine facility through flooded and debris-ridden streets, avoiding potentially low-rise overpasses, was certainly a true test of how the giraffes might handle a drive across the country, which in fact had never been done before with the towering creatures. Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. While conducting research in the archives of the San Diego Zoo, Rutledge came across a trove of newspaper articles about two giraffes that had survived a hurricane on the deck of a freighter and a cross-country trip, from New York to California, in 1938. Benchley, Belle J. Itwashed away railroad tracks, sent bridges downstream and downed electrical wires, leaving some New Englanders without electricity for weeks. Above, the steamship Monhegansits at a pier in Providence after sinking during the hurricane. box-shadow: none; The Great 1938 Hurricane crossed over the tip of Long Island, slammed into New London and raced up the Connecticut River Valley at 50 miles per hour. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, you're watching the live cam from the Safari Park. Giraffe Transport with International D-40 Truck More. So, although he cant speak, falls out of his wheelchair, isnt eating, he commits this story in sprawling detail to the pages of notebooks. I hope to die there, I do. 1st ed. In 1938, the San Diego Zoo acquired two giraffes from east Africa. The blurb describes this book so accurately, that I don't want to repeat it. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving a hurricane at sea. Found your piece on the Giraffes through researching the question So, is it true? as our Buddy read group was working its way through West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Good book! Robert L. was completely crushed by the animal. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { -moz-box-shadow: none; However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. As one of the most costly hurricanes to hit the U.S. mainland, it caused damage later estimated at $308 million. } It's harder to imagine hauling two of them across the United States during the Dust Bowl. Photo courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. On Feb. 12, 1937 a striking, unique photograph of Abraham Lincoln was published for the first time on the front page of the Evening Tribune in San Diego. The storm forced the Connecticut River over its banks, inundating cities and towns with floodwater. -moz-box-shadow: none; When she sent him on a collecting trip to Africa in 1940, she noted, I am quite sure that we shall not hear much about Charleys trip until his return. Virginia Beach: The Donning Company. West with Giraffes. Enjoy this live view of the African Plains habitat that comes to you from the Kijamii Overlook at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. lofty and patches giraffes 1938. There is not a man now on the animal staff who is not in the work because he would rather be in it than anywhere else in the world, and because he feels that his contribution is important to the Zoo and to the community. According to Ken Stott, a former San Diego Zoo curator, . It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. This is one of the most unusual and heartwarming road-trip/animal adventure/love stories I have ever read. All the kids screaming,its the end of the world.. On the other side of the pond, Hitler was invading Eastern Europe, so the combined stress of world events and personal troubles were briefly assuaged by the sight of the traveling giraffes. The Great 1938 Hurricane inflicted tremendous damage on shipping. Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! From the Archives: In 1958 interview 18-year-old Raquel had heart set on professional acting career, From the Archives: San Diego Air & Space Museum opened 60 years ago, From the Archives: Advice for Valentines parties from 1923, From the Archives: Rare Lincoln photograph came to light in San Diego in 1937, From the Archives: War on wild drivers waged in San Diego 100 years ago, From the Archives: The Nagano Olympic Games opened 25 years ago, From the Archives: A view of La Mesa 125 years ago, Protest held after medical examiner rules inmates death a homicide, Romanian citizen arrested on suspicion of stealing more than $5M in COVID relief funds, Two women suffer major injuries after head-on collision in Lake Murray-area, Man suffers major injuries after car hits ice patch on road, overturns in Ramona, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit now from its own insurance company. Animal Quarantine Station in Athenia, New Jersey, for a federally mandated fifteen-day quarantine. quite the fun adventure! could that giraffe have been a descendant of Lofty and Patches? Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. There is no real bluffing and nothing underhanded between Charley Smith and me nor is there between any of us; we are all working for one end, here in the Zoo, though perhaps by different methods. She was right. Those Giraffes, caught in a storm that killed hundreds of people, were en route to San Diego, California, and the storm was only the beginning of their cross-country journey. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. After three days of being fed pancakes (and the giraffes are indeed fed pancakes at one point in the novel), she mustered up the energy to pull herself up. If you like history too, this is the channel for you. Woody happens to be standing nearby when a cargo ship that had two giraffes aboard (who were bound for the San Diego Zoo), arrives at shore after disastrous damage to the ship. .printfriendly.pf-alignright { Vol. .pf-button-img { We were on the water with the waves crashing over us, and part of the house still attached, one of the walls still attached to this piece of floor, and it almost acted as a sail.. All Wildlife. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. 2 vols. *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment.